Chapter 2294 - 1481: The Boundary (Part 2)

Chapter 2294: Chapter 1481: The Boundary (Part 2)

But the question is, does this process have an endpoint?

If it does, where is the endpoint? Will it loosen forever, until the seal completely disappears? Or will it stop at some point because further progress enters an irreversible risk area?

Yang Ping stared at the ceiling until daylight started to appear.

The next morning, when Yang Ping walked into the Institute, he saw Tang Shun and Weber already standing in front of the bulletin board discussing something. He approached them and heard Tang Shun saying: "...After that article ’Seal’ was published, I received at least six emails, all asking the same question: Since the seal protects finiteness, why are we still researching repair programs? Isn’t researching it in itself a challenge to the seal?"

Weber shook his head: "This is a misinterpretation of the research motivation. Studying the seal is like researching nuclear fission. You can use it to make weapons, or you can use it to generate electricity. Understanding the mechanism itself is neutral; the issue is how we use this understanding."

Yang Ping walked over and stood next to them: "What are you discussing?"

"We’re talking about the controversy triggered by that article, which is bigger than expected." Tang Shun turned around, holding a stack of printed emails, "Some support your cautious stance, but others accuse you of using academic posture to cover up conservatism. They believe that if the seal can be loosened, then any delay in this process denies patients the chance to be cured."

Yang Ping was silent for a moment, then said, "What do you think?"

Weber leaned against the wall next to the bulletin board, arms crossed: "I’m thinking about a question. If the seal can really be loosened, who decides the speed of loosening? The scientists? The patients? Or the market? I just mentioned to Tang Shun that the nuclear fission analogy might be incomplete. Nuclear fission is a physical process without inherent regulatory mechanisms. But the seal is different; it might be an evolutionary product, a stable strategy selected over millions of years. If we ignore this stability and change unilaterally, could it trigger some negative feedback we don’t yet understand?"

Tang Shun said, "That’s why we need experiments, not to break the seal, but to map the seal’s boundary. We can design a series of gradient experiments, starting with low-intensity repairs and gradually increasing activation levels, while monitoring shifts in tissue morphology and function indicators. Once irreversible anomalies appear at a certain threshold, we’ll know where the boundary is."

"I agree with this approach." Weber nodded, "But there’s an operational issue: How do we define ’irreversible anomaly’? Is it the morphological tendency towards tumors? Or metabolic imbalance in function? Or some more macro system-level disorder? We need a multidimensional evaluation framework."

Listening, Yang Ping frowned slightly but had a focused look of being moved in his eyes. "You’re right; we can’t only focus on cell division speed, we also need to observe tissue-level architectural stability, signal coupling between organs, and, possibly more importantly, whether compensatory pathological changes appear in long-term tracking. This isn’t a single-variable optimization problem; it’s a multi-target equilibrium problem."

Tang Shun opened his notebook and quickly jotted down a few notes: "If we redesign the experimental plan, I suggest extending the observation window from the original 72 hours to at least 30 days. Short-term repair effects might mask long-term structural drift. Additionally, we need a control group, without any repair stimulus, simply observing fluctuations in the baseline during natural aging."

"The workload will be substantial," Weber said, "The lab currently lacks sufficient personnel."

"Then recruit more people; funding isn’t an issue," Yang Ping said.

The discussion among the three continued by the bulletin board for almost twenty minutes; passing staff either slowed their pace or looked on curiously, but no one interrupted. They discussed the choice of experimental animal strains, expression differences of receptor X in various tissues, and whether single-cell sequencing should be introduced to capture heterogeneous responses.

Finally, Tang Shun closed his notebook and checked the time: "I need to go prepare materials for the group meeting; you two continue."

Weber stood up straight too: "I still have a batch of stains waiting for results. Professor, is your plan to write a commentary related to this discussion?"

"It is!" Yang Ping said, "I want to extend the logic in that article further. Not just raise questions, but propose an operational research roadmap, showing how we can reasonably use repair programs while respecting the seal. It’s not about inciting division; it’s about providing a middle path."

Weber nodded and said no more, then turned to walk towards the laboratory.

Yang Ping stood alone before the bulletin board and glanced at the notice posted on it regarding the schedule for the annual research progress report. His gaze lingered on the date for a few seconds before he turned and headed to his office.

When he opened the door, he saw a yellow sticky note on the desk with Tang Shun’s handwriting: "Nature’s editor called, asking if we’re willing to write a commentary on the ethical dimension of the unified theory. They’re willing to provide space. If you agree, they hope for a submission within two weeks."

Yang Ping picked up the sticky note, read it twice, then placed it down and sat at the desk. He turned on his computer, started a new blank document, and typed a line in the title bar: "Seal and Choice: On the Ethical Boundaries of Life Extension Technology."

He paused for a long time beneath the title before starting to write the first paragraph:

"Months ago, I thought I’d found a key to cure all diseases. Now I realize the key itself isn’t the most important thing. What’s crucial is the door. Why does the door exist, who designed this door, and do we have the right to open it? This article isn’t intended to provide answers. I’m not even sure if answers exist. This article aims to pose a more fundamental question: When science gives us the ability to rewrite life’s program, how should we use this power?"

He paused after writing that, reread it, then continued. He wrote slowly, deleting more words than he kept. When writing about the evolutionary history of seals, he deliberately included a section on lifespan evolution and ecological balance. While recounting his discussion with Tang Shun and Weber at the bulletin board, he distilled that dialogue into a concise logical framework: gradient experiments, multidimensional evaluation, long-term observation window. He wrote: "If we don’t know where the boundary is, then use experiments to find it. This isn’t cowardice, it’s rigor."

By evening, he had written about three thousand words, still insufficient for a complete commentary, but the skeleton was already built. He saved the document, shut down the computer, and stood up to stretch. As dusk started to fall, footsteps and muted conversations echoed along the corridor as people finished their work.

As he walked out of his office, he noticed the lights were still on in Weber’s laboratory. He walked over and, through the glass door, saw Weber working at the ultra-clean bench, alongside someone Yang Ping didn’t recognize, who appeared to be new. Weber saw him, nodded in greeting, and gestured at the desk’s phone through the glass door, indicating "call me if there’s anything." Yang Ping nodded back, not bothering to interrupt.

As he exited the Institute building, the outside air was cool. The ginkgo tree leaves under the streetlights glowed with a golden sheen, like a thin layer of gold leaf on the road surface. He walked over the fallen leaves, the rustling beneath his feet distinctly audible in the quiet night.

Entering the family residence, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and saw a message from Tang Shun: "At the group meeting, I discussed the gradient experiment framework we talked about today, and everyone reacted positively. Several graduate students raised good questions, like how to define ’stable’ quantitative indicators. I’ve compiled these questions into a document and will send them to you tomorrow. Also, I’ve attached a preliminary personnel requirement list in the email; see if there’s anything to add."

Gazing at the screen, Yang Ping felt a reassuring sense of progress. He replied: "Got it; I’ll look at the document and list. Let’s meet again at ten in the morning to finalize the first draft of the experimental plan."

After sending, he put away his phone and opened the door. The light in the living room was warm yellow and soft; Xiao Su was on the couch soothing Erbao to sleep, while Dabao was sprawled on the carpet drawing. Upon hearing the door the younger one called out without looking up.

"Daddy’s back!"